$87.50 for 3 Minutes: Inside the Hot Market for Videos of Idling Trucks

[brooklynite]

New York Times

A white-paneled truck sat motionless and idling in Midtown on a recent morning, its driver wrapped up in his phone and oblivious to what was happening outside.

There in the street, Paul Slapikas was stalking his prey. Wire-thin and 81 years old, Mr. Slapikas stood in front of the truck like a lost tourist, a camera dangling around his neck and a map sticking out of his jacket pocket. He appeared to be deep in conversation on an old flip-phone — big hand gestures, a peek at a watch, a crane of the neck like he’s looking for a friend.

After exactly three minutes and 10 seconds, Mr. Slapikas — a lifelong New Yorker who lives a few miles away in Queens — snapped the phone shut, tapped the screen of his watch and walked away. If everything goes as it should, he just earned $87.50, and maybe more, for those few minutes of time, and the company that owns the truck will receive a fine of at least $350 that it never saw coming. But for now, Mr. Slapikas is off down the block, a bounty hunter jauntily seeking his next target.

“Easy pickings,” said the former marine and retired computer specialist from Woodside.

[underpants]

1. Fascinating

Dangerous but lucrative

[Maraya1969]

2. I think that is great!

[Ferrets are Cool]

3. Couldn't get to the rest of the story

what are they guilty of doing?

[brooklynite]

4. Trucks are not allowed to "idle" (park with engine running) for more than 3 minutes

[TNNurse]

5. That gentleman made $64,000 in 2021

for documenting this. Wish I could share the whole article. It is amazing.

[crickets]

6. No paywall link:

https://archive.ph/Wmcy2

This is a scene from the city’s benign-sounding but often raucous Citizens Air Complaint Program, a public health campaign that invites — and pays — people to report trucks that are parked and idling for more than three minutes, or one minute if outside a school. Those who report collect 25 percent of any fine against a truck by submitting a video just over 3 minutes in length that shows the engine is running and the name of the company on the door.

https://www1.nyc.gov/site/dep/environment/idling-citizens-air-complaint-program.page

[Lonestarblue]

7. I wish we had laws like that.

Yesterday I went to my bank and found an idling truck parked right beside the entrance, making it difficult to park. The driver was just sitting there. He could have parked around the corner and been out of everyone’s way—all of about 50 steps away—and turned his truck off. I had to wait for the ATM and needed to speak to a banker. I’m sure I was in the bank 10-15 minutes. The truck hadn’t moved, engine still running. Idiot.

[Joe Nation]

8. I understand the reason for the bounty but

I think we are crossing a line here that may have unintended consequences. Having us spy on each other is a slippery slope. Sometimes the ends do not justify the means. There must be an alternative to this practice that doesn't involve citizen patrols.

[Ferrets are Cool]

10. Yeah, I feel the same.

[PatSeg]

11. Yeah, kind of creepy

[Emile]

9. Shutting on and off a big diesel truck every few minutes uses more fuel than at idle.

Diesel engines don't burn that much fuel at idle. During cold weather diesel engines must idle or they won't restart.

[madville]

12. Regular citizens enforcing laws? Sounds like Texas and abortion

Isn’t that the argument against the Texas abortion laws, that regular citizens shouldn’t be investigating and reporting others that break the law?